Et cette archive de la position azerbaïdjanaise, confidentielle à l’époque, provenant d’une mission commune AZ ARM :
Annex: Document provided to the Mission by Azerbaijan
Presentation on the melioration and hydro-infrastructure
installations in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan
Occupation of the Azerbaijani territories have inflicted a grave damage upon melioration and hydroinfrastructure of these areas, which are of a great importance for the economy of Azerbaijan.
The following infrastructure sites are located in the occupied territories:
– 6 426 km-long canals, which were used for irrigation of 130 000 hectares of lands
– 16 main installations
– 539 hydro-technical installations
– 22 hydro-posts
– 88 pumping stations
– 185 km-long collector and drain network
– 8 water reservoirs with total volume of approximately 640 million cubic meters
The total cost of the melioration and hydro-infrastructure in the occupied territories amounts to 110
milion new Azerbaijani manats. Majority of this infrastructure sites were either destroyed during
fighting or ruined due to the lack of proper technical service in the years after the occupation.
The damage caused by the occupation of these installations cannot be limited to the occupied zones
only. Prior to the occupation the Sarsang water reservoir used to provide water for irrigation of
100 000 hectares of lands both in currently occupied as well as in the adjacent regions. Some 600-700
million cubic meters of water used to be taken from the Sarsang reservoir to irrigate forests and lands,
where cotton, tobacco, grain and fodder crops, multiyear crops were cultivated. The Sarsang water
reservoir was put into commission in 1976. Its capacity amounts to 565 million cubic meters.
Because of the occupation of the Sarsang reservoir (together with the 50 megawatt hydro power
plant), the Madagiz hydro installation (capacity of 5.9 million cubic meters) on the Terterchay river and the 80-km long part of the Terter right and left main canals more than 60 000 hectares of lands in
Terter, Barda, Agdam (not occupied part), Goranboy, Yevlakh and Agjabedi have not been receiving
water for irrigation for many years now. This gravely affects the economy of these regions. The
forestry has been completely destroyed because of lack of water.
The Armenian side intentionally pours off great volumes of water out of the Sarsang water reservoir in
autumn-winter period, mostly at night. This causes a danger of flooding for the cities and villages of
Terter and Barda regions, which are located in lower areas in comparison to Sarsang, and keeps the
population in constant fear. This practice results in flooding of localities and thousands of hectares of
agricultural lands in these regions. On the other hand, when need of water for the agricultural
purposes increases in summer season the practice of pouring water off ceases.
The Sarsang water reservoir has the highest dam in Azerbaijan (125 m). However, it has not had a
proper technical service for many years and therefore represents a real danger for 400 000 people
living in lower areas, where the water could suddenly flow.
In 2000 the OSCE put forward an initiative to provide technical services to the Sarsang water reservoir
and use its water resources. However, until this day no relevant conditions were created for study of
the present condition of this reservoir.
The massive fires taking place in the occupied territories constitute a great danger for the
environmental system of these and other areas of Azerbaijan. These fires destroy the vegetation cover
of lands and disrupt the natural process of water transformation. This causes inter alia a lack of water
and degradation of soil. It is necessary to take urgent measures address these negative processes
and to prevent their long-term grave implications.
